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In This Issue
Editor's Note
Why Health Care Needs a New Business Model
While the health care industry has found profitable ways to address many of the world’s heath needs, there are gaps when it comes to certain types of diseases, certain markets, and certain populations.
In this week’s feature article, BSR’s Health Care Director Mark Little makes the case for why the industry should revamp its business model to help solve the global challenge of access to health care and services.
Also this week we examine what the launch of Marks and Spencer’s “world’s most sustainable” suit means for sustainable fashion design. And we hear from BSR Conference 2012 plenary speaker Leontino Balbo Jr., the executive vice president of Brazil’s Native Organic Products, on why he wants to see more bugs and big cats on farms that provide the raw materials for his company’s products.
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In Depth
Why Health Care Needs a New Business Model
By Mark Little, Director, Healthcare, Advisory Services, BSR
In many ways, the health care industry has been able to address the world's health needs while also making a profit. But this win-win does not apply for certain types of diseases or for certain markets. Is it time for the industry to reconsider its business model?
Read more →
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Spotlight
The World’s ‘Most Sustainable’ Suit?
Susanne LeBlanc, Analyst, BSR
Recently, Marks and Spencer (M&S) launched the "World's Most Sustainable Suit." Touted by M&S as "one of the greenest garments ever made," the suit is made of organic wool, with a lining of recycled plastic bottles and reclaimed fabric for the pockets and waistband. The suit offers an optimistic vision for the future of fashion but also highlights limitations in the industry: Even for sustainability leaders such as M&S, sustainable design is primarily a question of materials selection. Other design choices that have implications for sustainability, such as cut or construction, are largely ignored. Sustainable materials will have a limited impact if ill-fitting and poorly made garments are worn only a few times before ending up in a landfill. Ultimately, sustainable design will require a more holistic approach to accurately account for impacts in the clothing lifecycle. Read more about sustainable design in the latest blog for BSR's NICE Consumer Project.
On the Record
Native Organic Products Head Leontino Balbo Jr. on Large-Scale Organic Farming
By
During a recent interview, BSR Conference 2012 plenary speaker Leontino Balbo Jr., executive vice president of Brazil's Native Organic Products, discussed how his organic food and beverage company became the world's largest organic sugarcane producer.
In 1995, Native converted its sugarcane fields into an organic production system, eliminating all chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and restoring biodiversity. Now, he brags, "We have four species of Brazilian big cats fighting over territory in our organic cane fields!"
"The technological package of conventional agriculture is not delivering what it promised: Yield has not increased, and, meanwhile, environmental problems and health issues are accumulating. At Native, our production system achieves 20 percent higher productivity than conventional sugar cane production, with genuine concern for environmental, social, and economic factors. It is the first time that an organic, large-scale initiative has produced a higher yield than conventional agriculture!"
—Leontino Balbo Jr., in an interview with Danone, June 28, 2012
To hear more from Balbo—and other sustainability leaders—register for the BSR Conference 2012.
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